Unleashing the Magic in her Veins
by FiresFromOurHearts
Summary: Narcissa has sat alone in Malfoy Manor while her husband is in prison and her son is off on a suicide mission. She sits and she waits and she dares her hands not to shake. Soon, she grows sick of waiting. Narcissa had been a Black once and she still is; her marriage did not take that from her. Perhaps it is time that someone of the Black family shakes the foundations of the world.


_**This is written for Assignment #7 Folklore: Urban Folklore. I picked Task #7 which had the prompt 'Write about a mother going to extreme lengths to protect her child'. This may not fulfil the prompt entirely, since it is the beginning of a mother going to extreme measures to protect her child. Draco isn't completely protected, but the first few steps (and they are extreme measures don't mistake me) are taken. It was written for the forum Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments).**_

_**Some people will question over whether the **_**Black Registration ****_will show the address of 12 Grimmauld Place but a) Sirius has died and b) surely people already knew about its existence? Because I'd imagine the Blacks had been there often, years ago. I should probably look into how the spell works because my memories are not really making sense of how it all works-does it legit just make everyone forget the existence of the building? So many questions, so few answers._**

* * *

The school year starts on September the first, as it always does. Narcissa Malfoy watches the train leave, her son secured onboard. Then, she returns to the empty Malfoy Manor. She sits in her favourite chair overlooking the gardens and waits.

Her hands shake, when she doesn't focus on stopping them. Still, she can do nothing. She has done all she can, having secured an Unbreakable Vow from Snape to watch over her son. Lucius, her husband, is imprisoned in Azkaban and she cannot go see him—not with what the information would mean, even if she had any desire too step foot in such an unpleasant place. That aside, she's not terribly happy with Lucius right now either. He is partially to blame for the Dark Lord setting her son on a suicide mission.

But Draco refuses to talk with her or give any indication of what he must do. Oh, she has some idea. Still, her son no longer talks to her, her husband suffers alone in prison, and she sits in an empty house with shaking hands because there is nothing she can do.

And one day, as Narcissa stares out at the garden, a cup of tea cooling in her hand, she wonders what has happened to her family, to go from so close to separated—each of the three in separate locations, untethered from one another emotionally and physically. It's reminiscent of her own childhood with her sisters, back when she had been a Black.

Narcissa has this thought on a day that seems sunny, if only one ignores the storm clouds on the horizon. And it is this day that she figures out what might have gone wrong. It seems she has, somehow, forgotten the family that she stems from and replaced it with the family that she has married into. _Which is,_ she now thinks, _an oversight on my behalf. _After all, Blacks—as few as there have been in recent years—used to be feared for the power they wielded both politically and, once upon a time, the power within them.

In recent generations, there have been fewer and fewer magically powerful Blacks. Of those considered Blacks, there is only Narcissa left. Regulus had been counted amongst their numbers before his death, even as he hid in the shadows and let his emotions get the better of him. Reggie's power had been one-of-a-kind. Well, two technically, but the second one has not been counted as a Black for quite some time. Perhaps it is time that Narcissa reminded the world of the power the Blacks were feared and coveted for.

Except, even that, may not be enough. Narcissa may have waited too long, spent too much time hesitating and acting like the perfect housewife. Alone, she may not be capable of saving her son and her irritating husband.

Snapping her fingers, Narcissa impatiently waits for her personal House-elf to appear. Bernard appears in seconds, bowed low. "The Mistress called?"

"Indeed," Narcissa says coolly. "Retrieve the _Black Registration_ book from my personal library and be quick about it."

"At once," Bernard agrees, bowing again. He disappears with a crack and Narcissa takes a sip of her tea. _Black Registration_ had been a wedding gift from her dear aunt Walburga and includes a self-updating list of family members and belongings of each. Narcissa had been rather lucky her sisters hadn't received the book.

Bernard reappears with a crack and hands Narcissa the book. Opening it, Narcissa says, "Family Head." Pages flicker past, before settling open. A picture of Sirius appears next to a picture of Reggie before his untimely death. Below it, a piece of text rests.

**_Sirius Black was reintegrated into the Black family upon Regulus' ascent to Lord Black position. Upon his death, the position fell to Sirius Black along with the traditional Black Family Manor situated at 12 Grimmauld Place, London. Sirius continues to be severed by the House-elf Kreacher._**

Narcissa wonders what Reggie had been up to because, clearly, he had gone against his parents' wishes by placing Sirius in line for the mantle of Lord Black. When had Sirius even been added to the family tree since he had been disowned? Still, whilst the Lord Black position is rather important, it's not the main reason why she wanted to check. She shifts her gaze to the opposite page consisting of the latest Lady Blacks. For centuries, the Black family has had the Lord position equal in power to the Lady position, ensuring that no completely insane person had complete control over everything.

**_After Walburga Black's demise, the Lady Black position has officially fallen on Narcissa Malfoy née Black. Equal in power to Sirius Black, Narcissa has complete control over family belongings excluding the Black Family Manor and House-elf, Kreacher. However, Narcissa has the power to question Sirius' position on the basis of acting as a family traitor according to Regulus Black's words presented to Kreacher before his death._**

Narcissa has grown up being told to act like a lady and use her position to hide exactly what she is doing. All in all, she has been taught to be a Slytherin and knows exactly how much appearances and presentations of oneself matters. It is for this reason, only, that she does not swear aloud.

Due to being a Malfoy, according to legal records, she hadn't received her notice of ascent to the Lady Black position nor has she received anything about Regulus' words about traitors. But perhaps… Well, Sirius is dead now and so the Lord Black position has fallen on no one. In time, someone may reclaim the position through Gringotts, but it hasn't been passed down to anyone with Black blood and so Narcissa cannot be stopped by anyone in the Black family.

"Kreacher!" There's a minute of silence and Narcissa does not allow herself to doubt. There is no room for it in her heart.

Her hands are not shaking anymore.

The House-elf appears with a crack. It is an ugly, dirty thing, not befitting of its status. "Lady Black has called?"

"What did Regulus tell you before his death?" She demands.

The House-elf sniffs, appearing weepy, and Narcissa's back straightens further. "Before his death, Master Regulus made many changes including bringing back filthy traitor Sirius into the family. Master Regulus entrusted Kreacher with a task and Master Regulus told Kreacher of the conditions for traitors."

"What were these conditions?"

"Kreacher cannot say," the House-elf croaks, squinting its eyes suspiciously at Narcissa.

In response, she stands, drawing herself up properly. "I am Lady Black," she says, words sharp and clipped. "My son has been sent on a suicide mission for a Dark Lord who only wishes to see my family humiliated. I will keep my son alive and this family together by any means necessary. Even if I take on the Dark Lord myself."

There are many people who would kill Narcissa for what she has just said, but she doesn't care. As Malfoy Manor Mistress, she is aware that she is alone. More importantly, she knows exactly how powerful she is in this moment and, at home, she is almost unstoppable.

Kreacher blinks and snaps his fingers. A necklace appears in his hand. "Master Regulus sought the end of the Dark Lord too. He told Kreacher to destroy this, but Kreacher has failed." The House-elf looks seconds away from crying. Narcissa has no time for such things.

"Look dignified, you are of the House of Black," she snaps and the creature stops its pathetic sniffling. The object in its hand is full of dark magic but the wards of Malfoy Manor recognise it, which is alarming—to say the least. "Place it down."

The necklace is placed on the ground in front of her. It is something dark, not that such a thing matters. It is not something that she would let Draco near nor is it something she wants near her person. It pulses with the Dark Lord's magic, malevolent and it reminds her of what the Dark Lord asked of her son.

A single word from her accompanied with a movement of her wand; the object is swallowed by Fiendfyre. It screams, loud and piercing, but Narcissa is no stranger to screaming things or burning them. Cursed items are never as rare as people think they are.

Wordlessly, she summons her wand sheath from her duelling years and puts it on. Then, she places her wand in it and glances down at Kreacher. "Come," she says. "We go to 12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius lived there so I'm sure he invited his little group to meet there. I need to have a chat with some of them."

"Yes, Mistress Black," Kreacher croaks. Narcissa smiles. She quite likes being called Mistress Black.


End file.
